Posted by vrcvanderbilt on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 in Events, HART, Student/Alumni, Technology, VRC.

“Wikipedia’s gender trouble is well-documented,” said Mary Anne Caton, senior consultant for educational and interpretive programs at the Heard Library. “Art+Feminism is an initiative to improve coverage of women and the arts on Wikipedia, and to encourage female editorship.” HART faculty, staff and students are invited to join other faculty and librarians on Tuesday, March 14, anytime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in Special Collections.

The event features talks by HART Professor Vivien Fryd and Pamela Gerrish Nunn, Dorothy K. Hohenberg Chair of Excellence, University of Memphis. Nunn will present “Recognizing Mid-19th Century Artists” at 11:00 followed by Fryd on “Feminism 101 and beyond” at 11:15. Lunch will be provided at noon.

“Wikimedia Foundation found that less than 10 per cent of its contributors identify as female,” Caton continued. “While the reasons for the gender gap are up for debate, the practical effect of this disparity is not: content is skewed by the lack of female participation. This represents an alarming absence in an important repository of shared knowledge.”

This event provides an excellent opportunity to learn the basics of Wikipedia editing in a festive, collaborative, thematically focused environment. All are welcome, no experience required. Bring your laptop, power cord, and ideas for entries to edit. All experience levels welcome, and assistance with editing provided. Parking is available at Wesley Place Garage between 19th Avenue South and 21st Avenue South, across from the library.